


Heavy Cross

by deplore



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-05-31 23:05:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6490897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deplore/pseuds/deplore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Birthright path. These days, Niles is the only person who gets to see Leo as a mere human being — to everybody else, he's King Leo of Nohr.</p><blockquote>
  <p>The Nohrian royal circlet looks a little too large when Leo wears it; the circlet sits on him in a way that makes it look almost as if some sinister creature is trapping Leo’s head between its angular teeth. Leo sighs as he glances at the mirror, attempting to adjust it, but the jewel at the center just goes more askew the more he fiddles with it. “I miss my old circlet,” he murmurs.</p>
  <p>“It did fit you better,” Niles says, crossing his arms across his chest and watching Leo by his reflection in the mirror from the shadows of Leo’s personal chambers.</p>
</blockquote>
            </blockquote>





	Heavy Cross

The Nohrian royal circlet looks a little too large when Leo wears it; the circlet sits on him in a way that makes it look almost as if some sinister creature is trapping Leo’s head between its angular teeth. Leo sighs as he glances at the mirror, attempting to adjust it, but the jewel at the center just goes more askew the more he fiddles with it. “I miss my old circlet,” he murmurs.

“It did fit you better,” Niles says, crossing his arms across his chest and watching Leo by his reflection in the mirror from the shadows of Leo’s personal chambers.

“It was more useful to me as well,” Leo replies. He gives up on making the ornamentation look better on him and turns his attention instead to dabbing some sort of powder Camilla gave him underneath his eyes, to hide the dark circles underneath, and Niles knows Leo can’t find it pleasant to have to use make-up to conceal his imperfections – not for somebody who’s been told since childhood how beautiful his face is, more like a princess’s than a prince’s – but Leo has an image to maintain, and that image isn’t of a young king who hardly gets a few hours of nightmare-ridden sleep every night. “A mage’s circlet isn’t just for décor, after all. Everything about it is crafted to amplify the mage’s ability to draw magical power out most effectively. Magical energy _circulates_ , you know.”

Niles doesn’t know enough about magical theory to be able to comment – he supposes if Odin were still here that Odin _would_ , but Odin’s gone as if he never existed in the first place. Either way, Leo isn’t even looking at him: his eyes remains fixed on the mirror, locked with his reflection’s gaze. “Speaking purely from an aesthetic standpoint,” he says slowly, “it simply seemed to feel more natural when you wore it. This circlet might be more royal, but you were a mage before you were king, weren’t you?”

Leo smiles blandly and finishes up his preparations. The dark circles disappear; the fatigue, Niles imagines, does not. “And I was a prince before I was a mage,” he says. “Though I suppose that you’ve always known me to be both. Now, Niles… as always, please accompany me. I will be relying on you.”

“And as always, it’s my pleasure,” Niles replies, straightening up as Leo turns around. In full royal garb, Leo certainly strikes an image as an imposing king, even though Niles knows that’s never the sort of noble that Leo’s wanted to be – but if there’s one way in which they’re the same, it’s that the both of them know how to be cruel to be kind. As Leo walks towards the door, Niles steps to cut off his path – “Just one thing, though.”

Leo pauses, but doesn’t take a step back. Nor does he say anything as Niles circles around, and then presses his elbow briefly to the small of Leo’s back; under the subtle touch, Leo pulls his shoulders back, and – _there_. That’s the sort of posture Niles knows Leo to wear most naturally, tall and proud, the dark mage who makes gravity his weapon and gravitas his second blade. “What is it, Niles?” Leo asks.

“Never mind,” Niles answers, offering the briefest of smiles. “It was nothing.”

**Author's Note:**

> The saddest part of the Conquest/Birthright paths is what has to happen to the side you don't pick. I'm biased because Leo's my favorite in the parent gen, but man, now only is he down two siblings and unexpectedly a king, but most likely the Awakening crew leaves too. Thinking about it made my feelings towards Leo and Niles' relationship (platonic or romantic) surge in +STR and +RES _( :,,3 /


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